Dragon's literary shadow

Author: Deng Qitong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: In traditional Chinese learning materials, the Three-Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Thousand-Character Classic are the most widely circulated early childhood education texts for thousands of years, commonly known as the "Three, Hundred, Thousand." It is said that "reading the Three-Character Classic to broaden knowledge; reciting the Hundred Family Surnames for daily use; understanding the Thousand-Character Classic to grasp principles." The Three-Character Classic is a "" – a timeless masterpiece! Legend has it that it was written by Wang Yinglin, a scholar from the Southern Song Dynasty, and became widely known after the Song Dynasty. It contains extensive content: "It first lists historical events, followed by classics, histories, and scholars, observing their distinct categorization without mixing. Although the characters are repeated, it lacks ornate language, yet its ability to enlighten knowledge surpasses it." It teaches both education and learning, as well as etiquette norms and names of things, and also covers history and tales of diligent pursuit of knowledge. The Hundred Family Surnames were written and popularized earlier than the Three-Character Classic. According to Wang Mingqing of the Song Dynasty: "The Hundred Family Surnames printed in the marketplaces were written by the common people during the time when the Qian family ruled Zhejiang. Why? Because it begins with 'Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li,' as the Qian family followed the legitimate calendar, and Zhao was the surname of our dynasty, so Qian came next." The entire book compiles four hundred and thirty-eight surnames into four-character rhyming verses, making it easy to read and memorize, and enjoyed by both the refined and the common. The Thousand-Character Classic was compiled by Zhou Xingsi during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. Legend has it that Emperor Wu ordered Zhou Xingsi to select one thousand characters from Wang Xizhi's calligraphy and compile them into a text. Zhou completed the rhyming verses overnight, but his hair turned white. The Thousand-Character Classic has no repeated characters, not only featuring elegant parallelism and coherence but also remarkable literary talent, earning admiration. It is known as "a scholar's letter," and has been passed down for thousands of years without fading. Professor Wang Caigui, the global initiator of "Children Reading Classics," from the National Chung Hsing University believes: A person's life involves learning a great deal, which can be simply divided into scientific knowledge (such as mathematics and physics) and non-scientific knowledge (such as art, music, and literature). The transmission of scientific knowledge should rely on scientific methods, i.e., "understand the first step before teaching the second"; while the transmission of non-scientific knowledge should rely on the method of "exposure and gradual improvement." For every child, school performance is not important; what matters is cultivating their interest in learning and their ability to think and solve problems. As the old saying goes, "At three, one's destiny is set." Child psychologists have found that 0-13 is the best time for children's memory. During this period, their ability to absorb is like a sponge. If you give them classics, they will absorb them deeply into their hearts. As they grow older, the essence of the classics will gradually ferment within them, and from then on, "walking with the classics and associating with the sages" will permeate their lives! Classics are works that awaken human nature, opening people's wisdom! They can reach the deepest parts of a person's soul, cultivating an elegant temperament and a kind character! Classical Chinese is the language of literature, the language most classics use, refined and elegant over thousands of years. In China's five-thousand-year civilization, what has been passed down to this day are the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, which contain numerous idioms, allusions, ethical teachings, cultural history, and etiquette. Under the influence of these classics, children will radiate a refined aura from within, becoming knowledgeable, polite, open-minded, and greatly improving their learning ability! As for teaching methods, we recommend adopting Professor Wang Caigui's six-character maxim: "Children, repeat after me." Let children read and recite classics. As the saying goes, "Reading and reciting classics brings great benefits!" Longwen, a famous horse in ancient times, would gallop swiftly at the sight of a whip. The Longwen Whipping Shadow, originally titled "Mengyang Stories," was written by Xiao Liangyou during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. Later, it was revised and expanded by Yang Chenzheng from Anhui, and renamed "Longwen Whipping Shadow," vividly reflecting the book's "effortless yet effective" effect. Xiao Liangyou, styled Yizhan, was a talented child from Hanyang. He was renowned as a prodigy from a young age. In the eighth year of the Wanli era (1508), he passed the imperial examination and became a court historian, serving as the director of the Imperial Academy. He was highly respected at the time. The content of the book mainly comes from the stories of figures in the Twenty-Four Histories, while also widely collecting tales from classics such as the Zhuangzi, ancient myths, novels, and notes like the "Search for Immortals" and the "Records of the World." It compiles anecdotes and stories of many famous historical figures, such as Confucius, Zhuge Liang, Sima Qian, Li Bai, Du Fu, and Zhu Xi. The book collects over two thousand allusions, including stories like "Mengmu Cutting the Cloth," "Mao Suo Self-recommending," "Jing Ke Assassing Qin Shi Huang," "The Swallow and the Clam," "Dong Yong Selling Himself," and "Writing Poems on a Red Maple Leaf." The text is concise and to the point, yet clearly explains the essence of each story, making it a comprehensive collection of allusions. The entire book is written in four-character verses, forming short, paired lines, each telling a different story. The lines rhyme, and the book is arranged according to rhyme, making it an important early learning text.